30. Aurora
Aurora
I t had taken me longer than usual to get dressed this morning. An ache gripped at my heart, my denial to Mac of what he needed from me tearing me apart. If my blood tasted half as good to him as his did for me, no wonder he craved it so badly. His ashen-white face had been gaunt and pulled, closer to stone than I had ever seen him. But in his eyes had burned a raging fire, a beast waiting to be unleashed. How had I let a vampire into our home, into our coven? We kept the balance, and I had allowed evil in.
I found myself outside, in the shade of one of the large oak trees around the house. From the lowest branch hung a swing, secured by ropes since I was young. I sat on it and gave myself a slight push. A smile betrayed my inner thoughts as the sadness was overtaken by the memory of Jade and I chasing each other in circles before seeing how high we could each go as we pumped our legs fiercely into the air. Life had been simple then.
“A penny for your thoughts, a quarter for the beauty of your smile.” Valentina’s voice warbled as she leaned upon the cane assisting her walking, strands of her white hair escaping the low bun at the nape of her neck.
I dragged my feet on the ground, the soles of my shoes causing a scraping sound as they powered into the dirt. “I didn’t see you there,” I said.
“You look perplexed.”
I nodded. “I am.” I hesitated, not knowing if I should tell her about Mac or not. She was the oldest witch in our coven. She had known both my mother and my grandmother. My stomach knotted as I wondered what her opinion was, but I was afraid to ask.
“Does this have anything to do with the vampire you took to your bed last night?” She gave me a knowing smile.
Heat rose from the blood reddening my cheeks. I should have known Amara would tell her. I nodded.
“You don’t get to my point in life without a man or two to regret.” She winked as she spoke and leaned forward on her cane. “And you know, the crones are here to listen and guide, not chastise.” She hobbled to lean against the tree. “Your secrets are safe here.”
I smiled as she gazed at me, genuine concern in her eyes. “I don’t even know where to start, Val. I never intended to fall in love...”
“But you did, and now you’re afraid you’ve made a mess of your future—of the coven.” It wasn’t stated as a question. The old woman spoke as though she could see into my heart.
I nodded.
“And what did your High Priestess Regent say?”
I looked at the ground, tracing a tree root with the tip of my shoe. “She told me to follow my heart, but then she had Lyra steal from us.”
“Did she steal from you, or did she hasten the return of our magic to our coven?”
I tilted my head, curious where this lesson was going, and found her gaze. “What’s the difference?”
Valentina held my eyes in her deep green gaze. “Did she take anything from your heart?”
I shook my head as I thought about Mac since the grimoire was taken. If anything, we were more of a couple than we had been before, facing the challenges Aunt Amara placed in front of us together. And Mac had been nothing but supportive of my path for the coven. “No. Mac and I have acted as one.”
“As partners—”
I nodded.
“And mates.”
The word slammed into me, removing the wind from my lungs. “Val, that can’t—”
“Why can’t it?”
I shrugged, my voice gone.
“Your grandmother tried so hard to figure out what caused her curse. It tore her apart when she became pregnant with Amara, knowing it meant her end. She entrusted your mother and her to me and the other mothers of the coven, as well as her sister. We would take her place, and we all knew it, helping to prepare her to move on.
“Shortly before she died, she sat with me one night, holding my hand, watching Amara kick her insides. ‘Val,’ she said. ‘What are the chances that this is its own form of a vampiric curse? If the one to break it will be sustained by blood, why not just bring me a vampire to feed me?’
“I smiled at her. ‘Would you really betray Marty that way?’
“She shook her head, and a tear rolled down her cheek. ‘But I don’t want to leave him either. Tell my girls not to fear the monsters. Evil is part of us all.’
“I simply nodded at her and squeezed her hand a little tighter as your mama ran into the room and climbed into bed with her.”
I bit my lip. “Where was my grandfather?”
“There had been word of a few vampires hunting humans to their deaths, and he had gone out for the night to make sure they didn’t see the light of day.”
“Did he succeed?”
Valentina nodded. “He did. He never missed. He begged to be allowed to find the unkillable vampire, convinced he would be successful.”
I smiled. “Did Grandma allow it?”
Valentina chuckled. “Of course not. She wanted him to be here for your mother and aunt. But the pain of losing her was too much, and he died not long after.”
I smirked. “Better than my father.”
“Yes, well, being lost to the drink is its own kind of death.” She pushed herself up off the tree, leaning into the cane again. “Just remember, even though the grimoire ended up here, so did Mac. There’s a reason for that. One your heart will tell you about if you ask.” With the grace of time, she smiled and turned her back on me, the conversation over.
“Thank you, Val,” I said after she had walked a few steps.
She halted and notched her head to the side. “You’re welcome, Rory.”
I looked at the ground again and heard another rustle from the path. I looked up to see Mac’s eyes on me.
“Hi,” he said, his voice tentative as though I would turn him away.
I smiled as he walked toward the swing. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better. Dani assisted me. And she gave me these—human blood.” He pulled two silver flasks from his pocket. A chill went through my spine as I saw that damn crest again. Why was it on everything associated with Mac? I bit my tongue, refusing to entertain an answer. Ignorance could be bliss in this instance.
“I’m glad she could help,” I said, pushing to keep my voice steady.
He took a step toward me. “You know, my brother had once set up a swing like this, but it was hidden away in the woods. He told me it was quite the sensation to have his cock buried in a woman while the forces of gravity pulled them back and forth.” He put his hands above mine on the ropes and bent down to kiss me. “I’m sorry about this morning,” he whispered, his forehead on mine.
“So am I—”
“Wonderful to find you both here.”
I jumped at the words as Mac backed away from me and turned, one hand remaining above mine on the rope. Aunt Amara walked toward us.
“Why is that?” asked Mac, stiffening.
“There will be an event tonight. Not quite a ritual, but we will cast a spell. I’ll need you both there.”
I looked at Mac as his face darkened. Something about Aunt Amara’s words concerned him, but I didn’t know what. I moved my hand so it sat over the top of his, giving it a light squeeze. “What do you need with Mac? Obviously, you can command my presence, but not his.”
“I believe I can find the Cure.” Amara glanced away as she spoke. “But I need the blood of a vampire.”
Something in her eyes made me question her statement. What was she not telling me? “What else is there?”
She shook her head. “Nothing, child. Just the next step.”
Mac looked between her and I. “I’ll be there.” His voice was steel.
I turned to him, my words hurried. “Mac, you don’t have to. Not all witches and vampires should trust each other.”
He put his free hand over mine so it was between the warmth of his hands as he gazed into my eyes. “And I want to change that. It is time for an alternative path, Rory. One that you and I take together.”
“Then it is settled.” Amara stepped forward with a smile on her lips. “We’ll be in the clearing at midnight.”
She turned and walked into the house. I bit my lip, nerves twisting my stomach. I hoped Mac knew what he was doing.
Mac and I walked hand in hand through the forest, the moonlight glistening on the Spanish moss, making it sparkle like diamonds. The entire world had taken on an extra glow in the past few days. I looked up at him, his deep blue eyes meeting mine with that now familiar intensity, steady and sure. A small smile played on my lips—one that he returned, along with a gentle squeeze of my hand. I had never loved anyone as much as I loved him. Still, I couldn’t shake the quiet weight in my chest, a feeling that surfaced when I least expected it. I ignored it, like normal, and laid my head on his biceps.
As we approached the clearing, Mac’s arm tensed, causing me to stand. He leaned down closer to my head as if sharing a secret. He pointed to the middle of the clearing where a dark oak table stood. Candles surrounded a large piece of paper on it. “There used to be a fairy ring under that table made of mushrooms. Even when I was six hundred years old, my mother would tell me to be careful of a fairy ring because it would transport me to a magical world. She held all the myths about doorways to the fairy realm in such high regard, as though they were all true.” He gazed off beyond the table at the memory.
I smiled at him. It wasn’t often he spoke of his parents. “Are you saying in a world where you know there are vampires, witches, and all those things that you don’t believe in the fae?”
“I believe in the fae. I’ve met a few in my time in Ireland. But I’m pretty sure they would want to slam their doors in my face.”
I let out a small giggle. “Why?”
Mac shook his head. “They are pure light magic. What would they want with me? I’m darkness incarnate.”
I grinned, leaning a little closer to him, a slight energy in my heart. “Maybe they just need your darkness to help them sleep better. You have a way of wearing people out after nightfall.”
Mac rolled his eyes and chuckled at my ridiculous pun as we approached the table. The paper resting on the top was a map of the world, hand-drawn in black ink. I held my free hand over it, feeling the magical energy radiating from it. A powerful spell had gone into creating this. My gaze locked onto the top center of the map, where the O’Cillian knot twisted—a dark, ominous omen. I guess Aunt Amara had found the next step to finding the Cure.
Mac shivered as he glanced at the edge of the woods. “I wonder what my part is here?”
My pulse raced. He looked so sure most of the time, but a flash of uncertainty crossed his face at that moment like he’d been hurt by something like this before. My heart clenched as I shook my head. “Amara didn’t tell me any more than you heard, but I’m sure we’ll find out soon.”
I held his hand a little tighter. I couldn’t protect him from the past, but I could make sure neither of us faced the future alone.
The candles around the map flickered. From toward the barn, I saw my sister witches approaching, but it wasn’t the full coven, just Amara’s inner circle: Lyra, Willow, Evangeline, and Jade. As they drew closer, the women glanced at each other behind Amara, the light casting uneasy shadows over their faces as if even they weren’t certain of what was to come.
I relished the feel of Mac’s fingers in mine as Amara approached. She held her hands out to me. After giving Mac’s hand a final, comforting squeeze, I took a deep breath and released it, then placed my hand in Amara’s waiting grasp. “Thank you for coming and for bringing him, child. I know you have not had a simple path.”
I forced a smile and shook my head. My heart felt as though it would burst from my chest. “No, it isn’t easy, but I know you only want what’s best for the coven—and to find the Cure, just like us.”
A small laugh came from Lyra. I glanced at her as I clenched my jaw. “If only everyone felt the same way.” I rolled my eyes.
“They do, child. We just sometimes have different ways of getting there.” She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug.
The warmth of Amara’s hug contrasted sharply with the growing chill in my spine. I felt like I was dealing with a version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One minute, she was my normal, loving aunt, and the next, acting in ways so unpredictable and unsettling it made my head spin. I allowed myself to relax into her embrace, remembering her words to follow my heart. Right now, it was leading me back to my family, and I would find a way to include Mac.
I pulled back, my gaze falling again to the map, the candles flickering. A movement caught my eye within the tree line. I shook my head, cursing myself at how jumpy I was as the leaves rustled and a dark bird took flight. The sound of its wings faded and left only the melancholic chorus of the night. I returned my gaze, and I realized that something was missing. Something important. I took a step back, the knot returning to my stomach.
“Amara,” I asked, “Forgive me, but if we’re going to complete a spell to find the next step in the Cure... where’s the grimoire?” I took a step toward the table, and Lyra blocked my path, crossing her arms over her chest. I glanced at Evangeline, her eyes downcast as she had moved behind Mac. I tilted my head. It was as though she refused to look at me. Willow stood closer to his side, fear etched on her face.
Amara shook her head. “You needn’t worry about how we’re going to complete the spell, child.”
As she spoke, Jade came up beside me, placing a hand in the middle of my back, the other resting just above my elbow, as though she were ready to restrain me. My heart raced in alarm. “What is going on?” I asked, my eyes flitting about in my anger.
Mac’s body twitched, ready to rejoin me at my side, but before he could move, he fell to his knees. His cry rang out through the air as he grasped his head, agony in his breaths. Amara’s steady gaze fell on him, her eyes narrowed, an arm outstretched as she caused his blood to boil.
“Amara, stop!” I screamed at her, my fists clenched and my body tense. I went to take a step forward, and Jade’s hand tightened on my arm. Mac remained on his knees, his body wracked with pain.
“You’ll understand soon,” Amara said.
“Amara, don’t do this!” I pleaded, glancing around. No way could I take on all the witches here, even if they weren’t my family. “There’s no reason—Mac said he would help us!”
Her eyes narrowed. “Do you truly not understand? After all this time, all we’ve taught you about the cunning ways of vampires?”
My breath hitched, my heart pounding against the rising tide of betrayal surging through me. I could feel it—hot and suffocating—twisting around my chest, sinking its claws in deep. Had I been blind all this time? Could I trust the woman who had shaped my life and taught me everything? Or had I missed the truth—about her, about the man I love, and the dangerous web we’ve all been trapped in?
“What do you mean?” I resisted the urge to run to Mac, who was crumpled on the ground. Amara gave him a moment of reprieve. The look on Lyra’s face—pure contempt and enjoyment—made me nauseous. I turned to Jade. “Why would you do this?”
Jade’s lips fell open as she started to speak, but Amara cut her off. “This has nothing to do with her. This was what I asked of her—what our coven needs.”
I gritted my teeth, my voice trembling with barely contained rage. “I don’t believe you.” Anger burned through my veins, hot tears rising in my eyes. Mac’s eyes caught mine, the pain mixed with undeniable love for me. Any doubt I had about my feelings for him burned away. He was the one I was supposed to be with, no matter what had been said, no matter the fears. I knew my heart. He was mine to protect, and nothing—no words, no manipulation—could shake that resolve.
The moment between us was broken as Amara stepped to loom over him. She placed her index finger under his chin, lifting it toward her. “Would you like to tell her?” she asked with a sneer. “Or should I?”
“Tell me what?” I screamed. The love in his eyes turned to fear, different than I had seen before. An icy wave of dread washed over me. My heart pounded in my chest, my hands and feet like ice as he glanced my way out of the corner of his eye, Amara holding his face toward her.
“Stop,” he pleaded. “Please, just stop.”
The wind rustled through the trees, the sound of dried leaves rolling over the ground reaching us through the charged silence.
Amara turned on her heel and stalked to the table. “Bring him to me,” she commanded as she stood at the southern edge of the map, her back to me.
Willow and Evangeline seized his arms, both concentrating on him as they pulled him to his feet. He roared in agony as he tried to fight them off, but they turned their magic on him, dragging him to the north edge of the map, directly across from Amara.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
Amara tilted her head in my direction, her voice dropping to a low, almost remorseful murmur. “Telling you the truth. Showing you who he really is.”
“Amara, please!” Mac growled, his voice tight with desperation. “I’ll give you what you need. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
“Will you?” She spoke through gritted teeth. “Isn’t that what you’ve been telling my niece? To trust you, that you’ll tell her the truth, eventually? She’ll see the truth for herself.”
The ground beneath me seemed to sway. What was Amara saying? My heart raced, every beat threatening to tear my chest apart. Every secret Mac had asked to keep to himself came crashing over me. Could everything I knew about him—everything I believed in—be a lie?
Amara grasped an athame from her waistband. Willow and Evangeline kept their gazes focused on Amara.
Mac looked up at me, weak from the abuse inflicted on him. My heart ripped in two. Jade’s touch, normally such a comfort, burned on my arm. There was no way for me to physically reach him. Whatever they had planned for him, I was helpless. My mind raced, trying to come up with any way out of this. My shoulders slumped forward as I glanced down and shook my head—my failure at protecting him complete.
Amara’s voice dripped with acid as she spoke. “You really expected us to believe there were two families of vampires? Both from Ireland, both with four brothers, both with parents evil enough to turn them?”
So that was what Amara believed. The thought slammed into me, almost knocking me over. Despite all my doubts and questions, I had never directly asked him if he was an O’Cillian. My heart clenched in pain as the air left my lungs. I hadn’t asked because I didn’t want to know the truth. Even though deep in my heart, I already did.
Memories flooded back—Mac’s easy way with Conall, his knowledge of their family’s secrets, the stories of swimming in the cave. My love for him twisted inside me, tangled with a rising sense of betrayal. Why had he not just told me the truth? What did he think he was protecting me from? My shoulders shuddered as I struggled to hold back tears. Jade’s touch fell from my back to hold my hand, more out of comfort than malice.
With a small nod from Amara, Willow pulled Mac’s arm over the map. Tears ran down my cheeks. “Please, don’t do this! Just talk to him. Ask him—ask him if he’s an O’Cillian.”
It was the last plea I could think to make that would stop my aunt from hurting him.